Tools Workers Can Use
To Confront Bossphobia

By

Kris Maher Staff Reporter of The Wall Street Journal

Updated Feb. 4, 2003 12:01 a.m. ET

"I have this phobia in dealing with higher-ups," concedes an investment banker. In November, while running through a client presentation in front of his boss, he realized midway through that he had flubbed some minor figures. In the end, "I bumbled so badly that it sounded 10 times worse," he says. "And because I started saying stupid things, he just went ballistic."

The banker says he doesn't have any trouble keeping his cool in front of peers, subordinates or senior management at other...